A research team led by academics from the University of Birmingham in collaboration with the Universities of Bristol and Edinburgh, analysed data from almost 100,000 female survivors of cancer who had been diagnosed aged 15-39, between 1971 and 2006.

From that cohort, between 1997-2022 there had been 21,437 births recorded among 13,886 women who had survived a cancer, which was 32 per cent lower than in the general population. Survivors of some cancers saw less than half the expected numbers of births, including breast and cervical cancers.

The data show that most expectant mothers saw a low likelihood of developing a complication in pregnancy or during birth, although there was a greater risk for leukaemia and cervical cancer survivors who were at increased risk of multiple complications, other specific cancers generally carried a low risk of complications.

To ensure that cancer survivors looking to start a family receive support and assurance about managing any risks, the researchers recommend that formal guidelines are introduced including ensuring that cancer survivors who are at risk of complications receive consultant-led antenatal care.

Read the full University of Bristol news item

Paper: ‘Risks of adverse obstetric outcomes among female survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer in England (TYACSS): a population-based, retrospective cohort study’ by Raoul C Reulen et al. in The Lancet Oncology [open access]